1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a separable fastener which is in the form of a strap member for encompassing and supporting members such as medical tubes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Separable fasteners such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,717,437 and 3,009,235 which are marketed under the registered trademark VELCRO.RTM. brand hook and loop fasteners by Velcro Corporation, 681 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. have gained wide acceptance because of the properties of the mating hooks and loops. A surface defined by the hooks is merely placed into face-to-face relationship with a surface defined by the loops so that a large number of hooks engage a large number of loops and therefore are able to resist separation by forces parallel to the interfacial plane of engagement but are readily separable by peeling forces applied substantially normal to this interfacial plane. These fastening devices are generally formed of a sheet of synthetic woven or knitted fabric having raised threads of synthetic material, such as nylon, which are napped or unnapped to provide a pile surface defined by a plurality of loops, and which may be thermally treated to become semi-rigid. Certain of the loops may then be cut along one side near their outer extremity to form hooks.
These fasteners have been utilized in numerous applications in many fields of use, particularly because of their unique touch and close fastener capability as well as their fastening strength. The unique fastening capability of these hook and loop-type engaging elements have been applied to particular uses to create new and unobvious fastener arrangements.
In particular, fasteners of this type have previously been utilized as strapping devices of various types. Although the prior art dealing with straps and the like includes numerous fastener devices of various types to secure the straps in their intended environment, the applications of these separable hook and loop-type fasteners have reduced the need for the traditional strap fastening devices such as buckles and the like. To the extent that the early fastening devices did not generally facilitate variable and precise fastening, the application of these separable fasteners to the strap art has proven to provide substantial advantages.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,000,384 to Piers, Jr., relates to a fastener tie to retain a hank or lock of hair in a desired shape. In an embodiment, a portion of a longitudinally elastic tape is threaded through the opening of an attached elongated eye in such a way that the tape forms a spiral-like configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,026 to Van Pelt, relates to a restraining device for holding a limb of an anatomical body. The restraining device includes an elongated resilient pad wrapped around a part of a human limb. U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,280 to Lacount relates to a catheter support combining VELCRO.RTM. brand fasteners with an elastic band which is secured around the patient's thigh. U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,107 to Moore, relates to an adjustable strap assembly which utilizes VELCRO.RTM. brand fasteners in combination with a pad having hooking elements on both sides to eliminate the requirement of an excessively long length of looped strap portion. U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,849 to Muller et al., relates to a surgical tube supporter having an elastic strap with a high friction layer on one face to engage the patient's skin. In still another development, a strap adapted to support surgical tubes is comprised of an elastic strap portion connected at one end to an inelastic strap portion with hook and loop-type fastener tape members attached thereto at the interface between the elastic and inelastic strap portions. An endless ring-like member is utilized to loop the hook fastener tape about the surgical tube to provide support therefor.
Along with the fastening advantages of the prior art, certain disadvantages nevertheless remain, particularly when the fastener device is utilized to support a catheter strap to a patient's limb. For example, in the presently known devices, which utilize elastic bands and the like, there is a tendency to restrict the flow of blood through the encircled human limb and this constriction has been known to cause ulcerations of the limb. Still others neither firmly support and secure the catheter tube to the strap nor the strap to the limb and this failure generally results in pain and discomfort to the patient if the tube slips out of position or becomes otherwise relocated. In addition, the prior art devices do not provide a strap of a fixed length which may be varied in size to accommodate limbs or body portions of numerous sizes. We have invented a relatively inexpensive fastening device in which these disadvantages are successfully avoided and which is particularly useful in providing generally firm but gentle support for catheter tubes and the like.